


Kiss Me

by littlemisscurious



Category: Actor RPF, Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom, British Actor RPF
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 09:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisscurious/pseuds/littlemisscurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>one shot based on Ed Sheeran's "Kiss Me"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kiss Me

“Benedict, I think…” Swaying, she paused mid-sentence, desperately trying to regain her balance with her throbbing head before she continued her slow walk across the room to where he leaned by the window. With tired eyes he was looking out over the scenery spread out before them as the mountaintops and the trees all shimmered in the warmest and softest colours of the rainbow. He had always loved dusk and dawn, the transition between day and night when the world either slowly fell asleep or was gently woken up by the tickling beams of sunlight.

“Hm?” He turned his head to look at her and a quiet laugh escaped his mouth as he saw her leaning onto the small wooden table standing in the middle of the large room, her slender fingers clutching the edge of the tabletop. “Benedict, I think I’m still a little drunk,” she finally managed to mumble as she padded over the floor, which was rough and a little cold against her naked feet. “Are you? Well...we had a lot to drink last night,” he grinned and not the smallest amount of pity was reflected in his enchanting and mesmerising orbs. “Are you not drunk still? You must be. Otherwise that would not be fair. Not at all,” she continued quietly. With a sigh she closed her eyes, her arms wrapped around his torso as she longed for something steady in her currently very wobbly world. “I’m feeling okay, actually. Maybe because I’m more used to it than you,” Benedict breathed against her hair, holding her close as his gaze wandered back to the awakening nature on their doorstep.

 

The smell of burned wood still lingered in the air even though the fire had long gone out and slowly it mixed with the enticing scent wafting over from the coffee machine. He listened to the gurgling sound of it while the birds outside greeted the new day with their prettiest songs. Her breath was hot against his chest even through the fabric of his shirt and as she readjusted her position against him and buried her face in the crook of his neck, a shiver ran down his spine. “Would you like me to get you an aspirin?,” he whispered, playing with a few strands of her long, wavy hair. “No, thanks,” came the mumbled reply, her lips moving against his skin, and he nodded ever so slightly.

Silence fell over them once more and while she focused on feeling better, Benedict’s thoughts rested on the woman in his arms. The previous evening had started with a simple but lovely dinner before he had unwrapped the two bottles of fine whiskey he had brought along after they had been forgotten for far too long in the very back of his bar at home. The little sips of the fine beverage had warmed their bellies and heated up the conversation bit by bit, revealing even more shades in their already multi-faceted friendship. Bitter or amused words about ex partners had been followed by hushed confessions on how and when and for how long they liked it best although by that time they had been too drunk already to test their newly acquired knowledge about the respective other on the creaky, comfy bed beside them.

She had fallen asleep in his arms, clad in nothing but her favourite pair of black panties and a rather skimpy strappy top but he knew better than to exploit this advantage. He wanted her, no doubt about that, but he wanted her in a different way, the proper way. With her mind not clouded by the alcohol they had consumed, with her speech not slurred, her memories not hazy. She had fitted perfectly into his arms, her body molding itself against his, her head tucked neatly under his chin. Did she remember any of that? He was too afraid to ask, too afraid that the answer would be no and he was the only one of them both who had actually felt the spark between them.

“What about a nice cup of coffee?,” Benedict whispered after a while, the coffee machine still hissing away quietly and the rich smell of the dark liquid waking up even the last tired cells in his brain. “Sounds good,” she mumbled, carefully extricating herself from his embrace, one hand placed on her temple. “Hm, and maybe an aspirin after all...God, I’m such a wimp.” Her laughter, low and quiet, warmed his heart and he nodded with a loving smile. “I’ll get you one. You go outside and say hello to the sun.”

She mumbled a quiet thank you as he handed her the white porcelain mug and stepped next to her on the wooden porch, their view of the lake only partly obstructed by the dark green trees around the hut. It was still a little chilly but the bright sun in the sky promised another warm summer day which would allow for swimming in the lake and bathing in the sun.

She watched him as he sipped his coffee wordlessly, his thoughts obviously far away from the there and then. Oh how she wished to know what he was thinking of. As open and carefree as their conversation had been the previous night, they had avoided one specific topic successfully and that was themselves as an entity, as a _we_. Was there even a chance for a _we_ apart from the professional and friendly connection they had? Or was it merely wishful thinking and wrongly interpreted gestures on her side? She should have asked the previous night while she still could have blamed the excessive consumption of alcohol for such a question. Now was not the time for such honesty. Little did she know that his mind circled around the very same issue.

 

The day passed slowly and was spent lazily. Their liquid breakfast had soon been followed by a proper one in the sunshine on the wooden porch before they had headed off into the forest for a walk. The shadows of the huge, old trees cast them in a cooling and comfortable semi-darkness and their slow steps were cushioned and silenced by the soft earth underneath their feet. Every now and then they’d stop to admire deer grazing in the distance or to marvel at the view that was offered them by a gap in the trees. Headaches and hangovers were long forgotten and replaced by the almost natural comfortableness existing between friends extended by a sprinkle of flirting between potential lovers.

It was she who finally conjured up enough courage to intertwine her fingers with his as they slowly approached the end of the path and therefore the shore of the crystal clear lake. His eyes, equally as deep and mesmerizing as the smooth water before them, flitted over to her for the briefest of moments but he knew better than to question her actions. Instead, he relished the feeling of her smaller hand in his, the perfect fit of his fingers in the gaps between her own, and the warmth of her skin on his.

“Do you feel better now?” His voice, low and gentle, rolled over her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind, and she had to take a deep breath before she managed to actually look at him. “Yes, I do. A lot better, actually.” Benedict nodded, almost invisibly, without once taking his eyes off her.

Her porcelain skin made her appear fragile and vulnerable to those who didn’t know better but last night wasn’t the first time he had seen a fire burn behind her eyes. It was not yet a full-grown blaze but rather a slowly growing flame that was still in desperate need of encouragement until it would reach its final magnitude. He sincerely hoped he could be that spark, the very last one needed to burn down the walls of restraint that were still upheld by her fear of getting burned, of being consumed by a need that would never be fulfilled.

“That’s good,” he smiled, squeezing her hand ever so lightly ere their eyes rested on the wide, open lake again, which was the very image of possibilities now lying ahead of them.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to check out my tumblr w-is-for-writing.tumblr.com for additional stories, drabbles and background information :)


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